Aurin stood above his blueprints as Kyle and Gardner examined them closely, trying to find any flaws in his house design. Aurin was taking the current silence to mean there were no glaring issues but caught a glimpse of Kyle’s frown and started worrying he’d overlooked something important.

  “What? What is it?” he asked, sounding more frazzled than he’d have liked.

  “I mean, they’re fairly impressive,” said Kyle, looking surprised. “Your maths checks out, there doesn’t seem like there should be much in the way of structural problems, even though it’s not the sort of layout I’d have chosen.”

  “But…”

  “Do you really need a battle room?”

  Aurin held up his hands. “The battle room was just an idea. I haven’t fully committed to it and the space could easily be repurposed.”

  Gardner nodded. “I like the idea, but we don’t tend to battle inside for good reason. An earthquake from Shamtile could bring down the entire house, undoing all your hard work. Chopchop misses a swing? Same problem. Steambot floods the room, you could end up with black mould before long.”

  “Spare bedroom it is…maybe two considering it’s so large.”

  “I have to say, I like the arena,” said Kyle, admiring it while Gardner rubbed his hands together as though itching for a battle to test it out.

  “I’ve told you countless times you should do something like this with the patch of grass that you use for battles.”

  “Most of the battling there was done by you and Luna, so what would be the point now? You’ve got this space and if I ever feel like battling you, I’ll come up here. It’s not even a twenty-minute walk.”

  “I’ll be the best neighbour you can imagine,” chuckled Aurin. “I’ll keep things quiet.”

  “I doubt it,” laughed Kyle. “I’ll hear you training all the way from the ranch.”

  Just then, Luna wandered up the hill and through the trees with Windjinn flying beside her. The feathery serpent was carrying a heavy bag in his mouth filled to the brim with takeaway food.

  “Lunch for the hard…workers…” Luna trailed off and looked at the three men standing by the edge of the battlefield. “You haven’t done anything!”

  “We’re doing the most important thing you can imagine,” said Gardner. “We’re discussing what to do.”

  “The battle room has been cut,” said Aurin.

  “Good!” said Luna, a wave of relief washing over her. “I told you it was a ridiculous idea but you said you could make it work.”

  As the four settled down to eat, Aurin summoned Lycavine and Gardner summoned Vinewolf so the two could battle in the arena. Under strict orders from their tamers, the two weren’t fighting especially brutally but their fight made for good entertainment during the meal. At one point, a stray leaf floated down and landed atop Aurin’s pizza leading Gardner to make an ill-fated attempt at convincing him it was basil and had been there the entire time.

  “Have you had any visitors besides us?” Kyle asked Aurin once there was a lull in conversation.

  “No, why?”

  “I bet he’s talking about the Underground Dojo,” Gardner whispered to Luna.

  “Too right, I am,” said Kyle, making Gardner burst into laughter. “Laugh it up, curly, but those tamers have been nothing but a chore since Aurin left and you know it.”

  “It’s true,” said Gardner, wiping the joyous tears from his eyes. He looked at Aurin and pointed a finger in his face. “They’ve been showing up at the ranch and demanding you accept their challenge. It happens multiple times per week, but its quieted down over the past fortnight. I think they’re starting to give up.”

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  “Challengers, eh?” asked Aurin, pumping his fist in the air. “They must want their turn against the up and coming hotshot who’s taken Bretonia by storm at the National Championships.”

  Luna pinched his cheek and winked at him. “If any of them are pretty girls, you tell them where to go, alright?”

  “To your house to challenge you instead.”

  “That’s right.”

  Vinewolf was suddenly flung overhead and he slammed into tree, breaking large chunks of bark off and sending a scattering of leaves drifting downwards. Aurin looked over to Lycavine who was snarling, his red eyes fixed upon his fellow branched evolution of Budescent.

  “That’s not taking it easy!” Aurin scolded him. The wolf stood up on his hind legs and walked to the centre of the battlefield where he dropped low and waited.

  “What happened?” asked Luna.

  “My best guess,” said Gardner, patting his unconscious wolf on the back, “is that Vinewolf pulled Lycavine’s tail. He knows how much that annoys other wolves and he does it anyway thinking that anger will make them sloppy rather than motivated to victory.”

  “How many times has this happened now?” asked Kyle.

  Gardner sighed. “Too often…”

  As the quartet polished off their food, the sound of footsteps thudding against the soil reached their ears. Seconds later, an exhausted Jimmy and Emily appeared with sweat dripping from their foreheads. The two plodded over to the others and flopped onto the ground.

  “Why…did you…buy land…up a hill?” Jimmy panted as Luna lightly slapped Emily’s cheeks to stop her from falling asleep.

  “It’s a nice spot and it’s out of the way,” said Aurin with a shrug. “You could have ridden up here, you know.”

  “Or get yourself in better shape, Jim,” said Gardner with a chuckle.

  “Never mind any of that,” said Jimmy, sitting up. “There’s chaos in the town square.”

  Everyone suddenly looked a lot more interested and sat at attention. Even Emily forced herself into a sitting position to back Jimmy up.

  “Three tamers are in the town square causing a scene,” she said. “They said that they heard Aurin was back in town and he’s a coward for not battling anyone yet, especially after so many had challenged him.”

  “See?” said Gardner. “We weren’t exaggerating.”

  Aurin folded his arms and nodded slowly while pondering the challenge. “Hmm…”

  “Hmm?” asked Luna. “You have to give us more than that.”

  “I’m thinking, I’m thinking,” said Aurin, putting his finger to his chin. Everyone watched him waiting for him to give his response. “Alright,” he said at last. “I’ll accept their challenge. You say there’s three of them?”

  “Three,” replied Jimmy. “Two guys and one girl. All of them from the Underground Dojo.”

  “Well, what are we waiting for?” asked Aurin, arising. “I’ve got three tamers to wipe the floor with. Calling me a coward, eh? I’ll show those jokers that I’m not to be messed with.”

  “Have fun,” said Kyle, standing up and walking towards the trees. “I’ve got a ranch to tend to. Let me know if they want to battle the Hazelton Champion after you’re done with them.”

  “We don’t need him,” said Aurin, banishing Lycavine and summoning Leonite. “Let’s get ourselves into town.”

  Aurin and Luna climbed on Leonite’s back while Gardner woke up his Vinewolf and mounted him. Jimmy and Emily, not wanting to run to keep up with the others, rode on the back of Jimmy’s summoned Flaround.

  The three bestial Minakai bounded down the hill, carrying the five humans through the forest. They emerged on the path just south of Harmony Tower and followed it all the way into Hazelton. Aurin was psyching himself up the entire time. He was confident he would win against whatever was thrown at him but with a reputation to uphold, the stakes were higher and he had an ounce of apprehension about battling so publicly. At the same time, refusing to answer any challenges would make him appear afraid to battle, which he certainly wasn’t.

  Luna, who was holding onto Aurin, moved her hand to his chest. “I thought so,” she muttered. “You don’t need to worry. You’re the best tamer this town’s ever seen and you’ve going to prove that all over again.”

  “I’ll try,” replied Aurin.

  “You will. We’ll be right there to spur you on.”

  The Minakai rushed through the town with Jimmy’s Flaround leading the way. He guided them to the town square where three tamers in exercise gear and branded with the letters HUD—Hazelton Underground Dojo—stood on the edge of the fountain. They looked like they meant business and the crowd which had gathered around them were eagerly anticipating something happening.

  The leftmost tamer was a young man of average height with curly brown hair and thick-rimmed glasses. His lips twisted into an eager smile as he spotted the Minakai running into the square. The middle tamer was taller, standing a few inches taller than even Aurin. He had straight black hair that was slicked back over his head and high cheekbones that made him look like a male model. The third tamer was a blonde girl with a long ponytail that ran down her back. She had freckles all over her cheeks and several more across her nose. Her eyes narrowed as Aurin and the others approached as though debating whether he was here to accept the challenge or to tell them to get lost.

  Once Leonite came to a halt, Aurin dismounted and walked towards the three. “I hear that you all wanted to challenge me,” he said loudly, ensuring that everyone in the square heard him. “Well, here I am, and I’m ready to battle. Which of you want to take me on first?”

  The three tamers looked at each other and smiled sinisterly before turning their gaze towards Aurin. Together, they raised their tamer glove-clad hands and pointed at Aurin. “All three of us,” they said in unison.

  here.

  Aurin's Team:

  Luna's Team: